Transneft Volga Region has completed compensation payments to residents of Krasnoarmeyskoe village in Engels district of Saratov Region, in the wake of the accident at the Kuibyshev – Tikhoretsk oil trunk pipeline (OTP).

After citizens’ applications were considered and independent appraisers evaluated the damage, works on calculating the property damage were conducted to decide on compensation payments. The Commission decided that the property damages would total 7.260 million rubles.

The Commission established that the fire caused damage to 36 properties, two houses being badly damaged and unfit to live in; the owners of these houses were the first ones to be fully recompensed. One family whose house burnt down to the ground was allocated funds for buying a two-bedroom apartment in a new build in Engels, Saratov Region. Right now, decoration is underway and the family will soon move in. The owner of the other badly damaged house was granted requisite funds, based on the estimation, to settle the housing issue at their own discretion. Furthermore, monetary compensations cover the sums citizens will spend on repair and decoration works in the houses that survived the fire and remain fit for residence. The owners of two vehicles (KAMAZ and RENAULT DUSTER) were also fully recompensed for the damage done.

It should be noted that one of the village homeowners refused the compensation offered because they disagreed with the amount set by an independent appraiser. Moreover, some citizens insist on moral damages (nighttime evacuation, forced lodging outside of the permanent residence, fire stress, etc.) ranging from RUB 1,000 to 100,000. These matters will be addressed through legal action.

For reference:

On 18 January 2018, at 3:30 p.m., an oil spill took place at the Kuibyshev – Tikhoretsk OTP near Krasnoarmeyskoe village in Engels District of Saratov Region, with a subsequent fire in the village territory. Participating in the post-accident clean-up were 345 workers of Transneft subsidiaries; 204 equipment units and special vehicles were engaged. Eco-analytic monitoring of the environment (water and soil) was organized on a permanent basis.